What happens when technology can do great things for humanity, but doesn't make a lot of money? Jim Fruchterman explores the social entrepreneurship side of technology applications: how to get great tech tools to the people who often need them the most, but are least able to afford them!

Monday, May 04, 2015

Silicon Valley Gives to Bookshare

Tomorrow is an exciting day for our Bookshare online library for students with dyslexia or visual impairments. We have incredibly generous matching grants from two of our dedicated tech entrepreneur supporters, Bernie Newcomb and Lata Krishnan. Tomorrow, Tuesday May 5, 2015, is Silicon Valley Gives day, where donors from around the world will find their contributions to organizations based here matched by local donors.

We love reading, and we know how important being able to read a book is to educational and employment opportunity. Each year, we provide more than a million books that are spoken aloud, enlarged or made into braille for students who can't pick up a print book and read it because of a disability.

We've never done a crowdfunding campaign specifically for Bookshare, and tomorrow we'll find out if some of our 350,000 users and their families are able to express their appreciation by helping match these challenge grants. And we need help: our annual federal funding from Bookshare has been flat for seven years while our users have grown by more than a factor of ten. There are more books to be scanned, and many more people who need accessible books here in the United States and around the world.

So, please give if you can by making a donation now, or through tomorrow, on the Silicon Valley Gives to Bookshare page. The transaction costs of giving online with a credit card are much more than covered by our matching donors. Spread the word to people who care about reading, and about educational opportunity. We want to do so much more, and with help from donors who share our dreams, we will!